


Wallflower

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Be warned there's slight Shallura in here, Fluff, I hate summaries and I hate tags, Look they dance in it, M/M, Mutual Pining, ambiguous timeline, gay shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 21:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12197733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: After another hard day's work saving the universe, a small banquet is held in Voltron's honour. This was all well and good, but Lance didn't think he would be the one stood in a corner on his own, and truth be told, he wasn't a big fan.





	Wallflower

**Author's Note:**

> I watched Voltron recently and I've been dying over Klance ever since. ...if you follow me on Twitter, I apologise in advance.
> 
> Anyway! My friend Spenser wrote Keith's side here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12204795
> 
> AND I LOVE IT!! Please read it if you get the chance!

Saving the day came with benefits. Sometimes it came with just gratitude, or sometimes, it came with a party thrown in your honour. It was only a small banquet, but Lance wasn’t going to complain about free food. Keith frowned when he was told he, too, would have to come. People wanted to see all the paladins, and unfortunately for him, that did include him.

“Hey, c’mon Keith,” Lance wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “cheer up. It’ll be good for you to have fun.”

Keith said nothing, though he did gently shove Lance away. Man, he was always so moody, but Lance was used to it. He shoved off the thought of Keith and went back to his room to get ready. Man, he was looking forward to socialising, dancing, maybe even get to kiss a cutie. Realistically speaking, though, he would end up in a corner with Hunk and Keith instead.

Sure, he liked them well enough, but not enough to stand in the corner with them all night, when he could be having a great time. As a paladin of Voltron, surely this meant Lance would get some kind of action. No one was going to ignore a paladin, especially not arguably the most handsome one out of the bunch.

He thought that, until the party was in full swing. Pidge, Hunk and Lance were left in a corner, ignored. Shiro and Allura enjoyed most of the attention, though a couple of people seemed interested in Keith. Probably because he was the right hand. Usually, Lance could rely on him for some kind of conversation, but this time, he may as well have been alone. Pidge and Hunk had accidentally locked Lance out of their conversation, going on in-depth about various technology. Yay.

Lance scanned the room for someone else to talk to. Huh, Keith vanished. Probably got sick of the party and went back, knowing him. There was Coran, but even he was talking to someone. Wow, Lance was seriously out of his element for once. Normally he was witting and charming, or at least, he thought so. Maybe it was because he wasn't one of the more ‘important’ team members, like Keith or Shiro. Well, who cared about the  _ blue _ paladin, anyway?

“Never took you for a wallflower, Lance.”

Lance turned around to see Keith, arms folded with a soft smile. He was smiling more lately, Lance noted, even if no one else did. Keith probably felt more at home with the team now, or perhaps he was making more of an effort to be nice. ...okay, it was a little unrealistic for Keith to be nice, but a guy can dream. Lance leaned his back against the wall, facing Keith, and smiled back at him.

“And you're the life of the party. Weird, right?” Lance said.   
Keith took his place next to him on the wall, foot against it. “Yeah, but I’d rather be with you guys.”   
“Looks like it’s just you and me. Those guys probably don’t know I’m still here.”

Lance gestured over to Pidge and Hunk, who were still deeply engaged in conversation about alien technology. He tried to listen in, but no matter how much he tried, he just could not understand a word. Well, at least now he had Keith to talk to. ...oh man, why couldn’t he just join in the conversation? At least then he wouldn't feel so awkward, being almost alone with Keith.

Instead, he looked back at the crowd and saw Allura. Normally, he would try to dance with her, and end up inevitably rejected, and then back to The Corner of Shame. This time, though, he didn’t really feel like it. He watched Shiro offer his hand out to her, smiling warmly in a manner that reminded him of a prince, and she took his hand in hers, allowing him to lead her into the makeshift dance floor. Come to think of it, the two of them were cute together.

Lance looked over at Keith, who was watching the scene unfold without a worm. Usually, Keith would have stormed off by now, pretending he  _ totally _ wasn’t jealous, and wasn’t  _ upset _ , and this was completely  _ fine _ . This time, though, he seemed completely unfazed. Either it truly did not bother him, or Keith had finally developed a poker face.

No, this was Keith Kogane. The man had no poker face.

He leaned his head back against the wall, relaxed, idly watching the world go by. He sort of understood how Keith must have felt, watching from the sidelines and never being able to find his way into the crowd. It kind of sucked, actually, and he was growing bored. This was probably his cue to leave. He had eaten and drank so much, and if that was all he was going to do, he didn't really want to stick around any longer. Right before he could move, though, Keith spoke.

“D-do you want to dance? Or something?”

The words tumbled out of his mouth, like books falling off a shelf. As he said it, his eyes widened and he stopped looking at Lance, instead opting close his eyes. He balled his hands into fists, red-faced and trying so hard to put up a poker face. Was Keith even breathing?

Lance watched him like this for a moment, before peeling himself off the wall and moving in front of Keith. He opened his eyes in time to see Lance extend his hand out to him, right before Lance could try to hide his grin. Keith looked at his hand, then back at him, mouth slightly open.

“You coming?” Lance asked.

Keith reached out his hand, and stopped about midway. He seemed to be contemplating his choices, before determination shined in his eyes and grabbed Lance’s hand, his soft skin against his own. Fire shot through his veins when they touched, and he stood no chance at hiding his grin now. Lance led them both to the dance floor, heart slamming against his chest. It was one thing flirting with someone Lance did not know, and would never get to know, and it was a whole other with  _ Keith _ , holding hands and about to dance.

On the dance floor, Lance repositioned their fingers to lace together, and his free hand slid to the small of Keith's back. His hand made contact, and Keith gasped softly, but did not push him away. Instead, he wrapped his free arm around Lance’s shoulders, bringing them almost close enough to touch. This was unbelievable, this was actually happening.

Lance couldn’t calm down. He was touching - _ holding _ \- Keith, dancing with him, so close that Lance could almost feel his heartbeat. Perhaps he was imagining it, but it felt almost as quick as his own heart rate. Lance couldn’t look at him, instead focusing on their foot movements, making sure they were at least sort of in time with the music. If he was thinking about that, he wasn’t thinking  _ stuff _ about Keith.

But he couldn’t help himself, and he looked back up. Keith was still red, and still trying to look away. Keith’s attention shifted back to Lance when he caught him staring, and their eyes locked. Lance’s breath hitched. God, he had the most gorgeous eyes, brighter and prettier than he had ever seen in his life. His face was gorgeous, even when he was furious, even when his brow creased in worry. Lance had met all sorts of people from all kinds of planets and solar systems, but no one like Keith.

He hasn't realised he had let go of Keith's hand, did not register they had stopped dancing. Lance brushed his soft, shiny hair out of his face, cupping his warm, red cheek. Only then did he realise what he was doing, and he did not want to stop now. Keith closed his eyes, leaning into the touch, and his cheeks only got warmer.

The world around them completely disappeared. Lance hadn’t realised just how badly he wanted this until Keith was right there, almost pressed against him. His heart slammed against his chest as he leaned in, slowly, waiting for Keith to break away suddenly and change his mind. Keith opened an eye and he frowned, before pulling Lance in by his shoulders and pressing their lips together.

Keith's lips felt a little rough against his own, but Lance wasn't complaining. He felt so warm inside, pulling Keith in closer until their chests finally touched. His hand slid into Keith's hair, finally able to enjoy its softness in his fingers, losing himself within the locks. One of Keith's hands found its way onto Lance's face, stroking the skin with his thumb softly. He shivered under the touch. Lance had always wanted Keith to touch him gently like this, to kiss him, to hold him, and now that this was happening, he was dizzy. The air had been pushed out of his lungs, and all he could focus on was just how  _ good _ it felt to finally touch him.

Lance was the one to pull away, face flushed and finally able to breathe again. He looked down at Keith with half-lidded eyes, flustered, content. He broke into a smile, but Keith did not. He let go of Lance, wiggling out of his grip. He made a noise as he stammered, words failing him.

“I should go.” Keith took a step back, about to turn away and run.   
“Keith, wait-”

Before Lance could finish his sentence, Keith was already walking away, trying hard not to break into a sprint. Lance should have chased after him, but he was dumbfounded, left standing in the middle of the dance floor. It was only when someone bumped into him that he was aware he was still stood there, left feeling like a complete  _ idiot _ . He sulked back to the corner, where it was now just Hunk.

“Lance? You look rough, buddy. What happened?” He put a hand on Lance’s shoulder.   
“Where’s Pidge?” Lance's voice croaked as he spoke, struggling to pretend he was fine.   
“Gone to bed.” Hunk frowned. “You see Keith? He just ran off, and I'm just gonna throw this out there, but did you say something to him?”

Lance had told him a while ago how he felt, particularly about Keith, though Hunk had also told him he already knew. Apparently, Pidge also knew. Who else knew? Clearly, not Keith, or else he wouldn't have ran away like that, leaving Lance to look like a complete idiot. People saw.  _ Everyone _ probably saw. That just made it worse.

The best thing about being semi-stranded in space with his best friend was Lance had someone to talk to about this. He leaned against the wall and told Hunk everything that happened, from Keith coming over - which Hunk hadn't realised happened - to Keith running away. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, struggling to keep it together. Keith just didn't feel the same, and that was fine. Except it wasn't fine. It sucked.

“... and you didn’t chase after him?” Hunk asked, raising an eyebrow. A con of being stranded with his best friend - he had someone to judge him.   
“No.” Lance lowered his hand and looked over at him. “Should I?”   
Hunk faced him, putting his hands on both shoulders. “Look dude, there’s only one way to get to the bottom of this. Go find him and talk to him, before he thinks you don’t care.” He patted them, before letting go. “Seriously man, even if he rejects you, at least you know for sure. What if he likes you and he's waiting for you to go after him?”

Lance wanted to shrug him off and just go to bed, pretend this didn’t happen, and pretend he could be friends with Keith without this looming over them. But Hunk was right. This wasn't just  _ some kiss _ . Lance could ignore how good it felt to have his smiles, he could pretend he wasn’t mistaking his kindness for something more, but he could not ignore that kiss. If it was just a peck, if they weren’t dancing, if they weren’t so close… for once, Lance couldn’t pretend.

Lance ran in the direction he saw Keith walk towards, bolting past people attending the party, faster than he had ever done before. Maybe Keith was still awake, hopefully he was still waiting for Lance, if he was even waiting. What if he’d moved? Dammit, then he would need to enlist Hunk’s help to track him down, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. And if Keith didn't want to see him? Well, at least then Lance would finally know they were not meant to be.

He stopped when he saw Keith leaning against a windowsill, elbows on the top and looking off into the horizon. Keith was lost in thought, possibly not even realising Lance was there. At this point in the night, he was used to it, but he got a little closer, though not much. Still a couple of metres away, he cleared his throat, and Keith didn’t react, still lost in himself.

“What was that about?” he asked. Still, Keith did not react. Lance stood next to him, mirroring his pose. “You didn’t need to run away like that.” Lance tried so hard not to sound hurt or annoyed, but it was seeping through his tone.   
Keith sighed. “I just feel so stupid. I don’t even know if you wanted to--”

Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulders. Keith froze for a moment, before relaxing into the embrace. He closed his eyes, his head pressing against Lance’s cheek. For a little while, they were in complete silence. Lance felt comforted by the soft rhythm of Keith's breathing, and the slow rise and fall of his shoulders.

“This is a stupid idea,” Keith mumbled.   
“You’re not moving away.” Lance grinned down at him.

Lance moved his arm down to Keith’s waist, and still, he did not move away. He was really pushing his luck that evening, but he expected to get rejected even back when he put his hand on the small of Keith's back a while ago. Lance was surprised he didn't try to wiggle away again, even though he definitely could.

Lance wasn't the guy to enjoy silence. He liked things loud, active, busy. For once in his life, he enjoyed the peace of silence with Keith. No one else could make him feel like this, not one had ever even come  _ close _ before. It was just the two of them, and though this was not the first time they had ever been alone, it was the first time Lance had ever felt so happy with him.

This was finally the chance he had been looking for. This was not their time, not their place, but Lance needed to tell him. He wasn't the kind of guy to go weak at the knees at an attractive person, nor the guy whose mouth ran dry at the prospect of sharing his feelings. Then again, his feelings for anyone else had not been as genuine as they were for Keith, and he saw that now.

“I really like you, Keith.” His voice was barely above a whisper.   
Keith smiled softly. “I like you, too.”

Lance wanted to stay like this forever. He wanted to hold Keith, go on cute dates to the space mall, hold his hand. But that wasn't who they could be, not while they were still paladins. And that meant, perhaps, this would never happen. The thought alone broke his heart.

Just for tonight, they could pretend to be all the things they wanted to be. They could pretend they were just two guys, without the universe on their shoulders, relaxing into each other.

Come the morning, this would end, and their friendship would be all that remains, and that did not bother Lance. Just as long as Keith was still by his side.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Butterflies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12204795) by [sepsner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sepsner/pseuds/sepsner)




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